Gravestone vandalism forces customers to wait longer

OMAHA,Neb(FOX42KPTM)-A monument company is now out of $17,000. It's called "Milacek Monument." It's on 52nd and Center Streets.

The manager says he found six headstones damaged Sunday morning.

"It would take a different personality to actually do this type of damage to these type of stones,” Steve Story said. "They were tipped over like dominoes and with the weight of up to 500 pounds apiece, they don't just blow over."

He says they keep the headstones out for a reason.

"We like to display the stones if we're not open so people can still see exactly how nicely these stones are," Story said.

Now, he says they're working on raising the height of their fence. They want to make sure their precious stones are safe.

"These stones come from China and India so we're looking at a freight coming from overseas where individuals who thought their stones were going to be placed within the next week or so are now looking at another three to four months before the stones come in,” he said.

Although the company is taking a financial hit because of the damage, the customer actually suffers the most.

"It's a tough time for these individuals. This is a grieving process for them and it makes the whole ordeal somewhat disheartening,” he said.

Story says he hasn't talked to the affected customers yet. He's now trying to come up with a solution to get new headstones faster.

If you know any information about what happened, please call 402-444-7867.